The Republican party in 2012 was all like:
“VOTE-BY-MAIL APPLICATION ENCLOSED”
“You can repeal Obamacare, from the comfort of your own home.”
(Parties could not mail applications at the time, IIRC. Will update.)
Sample language and a postcard “for you and one for another eligible family member.”
“Apply to vote by mail today.”
But the Republican president in 2020 is all like:
And even more like:
What a difference a criminal incumbent makes.
Former Illinois Republican congressman and conservative talk radio host Joe Walsh in 2016 was all like:
And 2020 Joe Walsh is all like vote for Joe Biden:
I’m angry.
I’m scared, confused, frustrated, worried, and nervous. But, mostly, I’m just really angry. Another week of horrible unemployment numbers, with almost 3 million Americans filing first-time jobless claims last week, the 8th straight one with that number in the millions. In total, 36.5 million jobless claims have been filed nationwide in the past eight weeks.
Though stunning, that number surely undercounts the total. That is 36 million jobs lost, erasing the 22 million jobs created in the past 10 years. Yes, the Trump administration has presided over the loss of the entirety of American job creation for the past decade. That number includes manufacturers, farmers, wait staff, firefighters, construction workers, and teachers. Their jobs are just gone.
As an afterthought, Walsh writes, “Right now, we are projected to hit over 140,000 dead in the U.S. by early August.”
But enough about the dead and dying. Let’s talk about what’s really important: “an economic catastrophe in this country that could be worse than the Great Depression.” Now that’s bad.
“We have one president, and he really has only one job: To defend us from enemies both foreign and domestic,” Walsh laments. And Trump couldn’t do the job against this “big-ass enemy.”
So Walsh has gotten religion of a sort. He admits he made a mistake in 2016. This time, he’s all in behind “a decent, compassionate, experienced, and competent man,” former Vice President Joe Biden. Walsh urges readers to vote this fall for “an honorable president.”
Still, what makes the coronavirus such a big-ass enemy? The loss of jobs, the economy, livelihoods, and small businesses. Oh yeah, and “tens of thousands of lives would have been saved” if Trump had gotten off his ass. But really, if he hadn’t been such a slug, “our economy would not have taken such a big hit [and] we would be on a much faster track to getting back to normal.” Meaning back to serving The Market (bless its holy name).
Matthew 6:21 [KJV]: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Now, maybe Walsh has found his soul and maybe not. If his support for Biden moves some votes, terrific. He may think “Donald Trump has blood on his hands,” but here he still focuses foremost on damage Trump has done to the economy.
That suggests Trump may not yet be beyond redemption with guys like Walsh. The acting president pledged on Thursday, “we are not closing our country” should a second wave of coronavirus infections hit later this year. Paul Krugman believes Trump and his party have decided “thousands of Americans must die for the Dow.” Seeing the economy recover at all before November is Trump’s reelection Hail Mary. Trump, Walsh, and others of their … persuasion … have announced with a klaxon just where their hearts are. With the treasure.
The self-anointed party of values has its values pretty clearly fucked up.
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For The Win, 3rd Edition is ready for download. Request a copy of my free countywide GOTV mechanics guide at ForTheWin.us. This is what winning looks like.
Note: The pandemic will upend standard field tactics in 2020. If enough promising “improvisations” come my way by June, perhaps I can issue a COVID-19 supplement.